Emmer reintroduces STOP Act to prevent elder abuse

U.S. Rep. Tom Emmer (R-MN) on Jan. 26 reintroduced the Senior abuse Training and Offense Prevention (STOP) Act to create a specialized grant program that would help identify, combat and prevent elder abuse. 

“Elder abuse prevention should be a top priority for our communities, our state and our government,” Rep. Emmer said. “Amidst a crisis which forced aging Americans indoors, isolated from their loved ones — now more than ever — our focus should be on their safety and well-being.”

Specifically, the STOP Act would create a competitive grant program administered by the U.S. Department of Justice to support a wide range of efforts, from training, multidisciplinary coordination, and new law enforcement divisions dedicated to addressing elder abuse, according to a bill summary provided by Rep. Emmer’s office.

Rep. Emmer in May 2020 initially introduced the same-named H.R. 6750 in response to the Star Tribune’s 2018 reported instances of ongoing elder abuse and the backlog of complaints at the Minnesota Department of Health. 

“After Minnesotans learned of the backlog of elder abuse complaints, we were appalled,” said Rep. Emmer. “We must commit to each other to do more as a community.”

Minnesota’s Sixth Congressional District has examples of programs that recognize the prevalence of neglect and abuse of the state’s elderly citizens, the congressman added. “These programs have established collaborative partnerships to combat these terrible injustices, and I commend them for their efforts,” he said.